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Dave Karraker, head of PR for Sony Computer Entertainment America, must be having one hell of a day. From all indications, it seems like the 60GB SKU will only be available in the US for as long as the current supply can sustain it. After that, the only option will be the 80GB SKU for $599. Naturally, gamers are pissed off. In response, Karraker has issued a statement regarding the issue yet again.

The 60GB PS3 will be available in North America for $499 until supplies of that unit are depleted. We have ample inventory to meet the immediate needs of consumers in this territory for several months to come. We won’t be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated.

So, from the sound of it, it’s possible that Sony could decide to continue manufacturing 60GB PS3s, but that decision won’t be made until later down the road.

Earlier this morning, reports were spreading across the internet like wildfire when SCEE president David Reeves stated in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB model was going to be discontinued in the US.

How concerned are you about possible criticisms that you should have given European consumers what SCEA has given US consumers, i.e. the option to pay a lower price?

Well, they’re not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game. All they’re doing is taking their stock in trade that they’ve got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July.

So once the 60GB is gone, that will be the end of the 60GB then?

In America, yes.

To say there was outrage over this would be a grand understatement. Could Sony really be pulling a fast one and merely replacing the one option for a PlayStation 3 in the US – the 60GB SKU for $599 – with an 80GB SKU at the same price?

I’m not much of a Metal Gear Solid fan, or a fan of the stealth-action/espionage genre at all, for that matter. But when I saw this MGS4 trailer earlier this week, I was absolutely blown away. Blown? Blown. This is, for me, the best trailer of the show and I seriously will consider picking up a PlayStation 3 just for this game. Maybe it’s a bit premature to say that, but just give the trailer a look and try to disagree.

Looking better and better every time we see it, LittleBigPlanet continues to exude charm effortlessly. At Sony’s press conference a few days ago a new trailer emerged, this time showing off the depth and ease-of-use of the game’s deep well of customization options. Much can be inferred about how limitless the games options are in the scant few minutes the trailer plays. Watch in awe of the next big thing in gaming.

Lost in the sea of hype surrounding Sony’s press conference at this year’s E3 was none other than Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Rubbing shoulders with other heavy hitters at the keynote, Polyphony Digital’s new entry in the vaunted sim-racer franchise is already looking masterful. You’d think that there were only so many ways to make cars look good and realistic; it seems Sony’s in-house developer has found a new bag of tricks. Forza 2, eat your heart out.

As if the Killzone 2 trailer shown at Sony’s press conference wasn’t awesome enough, GameVideos has this extended version of the trailer. I’ve been a major doubter of Killzone 2, but this trailer really has me amped up for the game’s release. Naysayers, take a look before you do any further bashing of Killzone 2.

I’m going to come right out and say it: I’m coming away from Sony’s presentation more impressed than I was either Nintendo’s or Microsoft’s. They were very straightforward and showed exactly what we all wanted to see: the games.

In fact, this was one of the more impressive E3 press conferences in recent memory – check inside to find out why.

The once mammoth 60GB PS3 has had its sticker shock peeled, if only partially. At $100 lighter - effective immediately - the urge to grab one is getting harder to resist, and Amazon sales seem to indicate that I’m not the only one who feels that way. Big spenders aren’t being ignored, either—the new new 80 gig PS3 (now with 100% less Emotion Engine, the component that allows hardware to power backwards compatibility) hits store shelves next month at $599, packaged with MotorStorm for free.

Unfortunately, things aren’t as rosy for Sony elsewhere. The often-rumored-to-be-going-multiplatform Metal Gear Solid 4 seems to be doing just that, at least according to Kazumi Kitaue, Konami’s North American and European COO, in an interview with Reuters. Though no specific consoles were named (few choices exist when speculating), the executive questions the impact that the price drop could have, and how the so-far unspectacular sales of the PS3 will hurt their bottom line if they remain exclusive. “With $500, you can buy a personal computer. I don’t expect a substantial impact.” Amazon begs to differ…

In regards to the yeti that is the Xbox 360 port of MGS4, it remains uncatalogued. For now.